


Champions of Olympus: Cult of Kalkriese

by XxAnonumosxX



Series: Champions of Olympus [1]
Category: Percy Jackson and the Olympians & Related Fandoms - All Media Types
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-09
Updated: 2020-01-12
Packaged: 2021-02-27 16:27:53
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 7,880
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22180063
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/XxAnonumosxX/pseuds/XxAnonumosxX
Summary: My name's Dakota, but my friends call me Dak. One day, I'm chilling out at school, and the next the Greek gods are suddenly real and I'm on a quest with my wacky friend Brody, trying to stop an ancient cult from rising to power while also rescuing a goddess... Yep. This is my life now.
Series: Champions of Olympus [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1601323
Kudos: 1





	1. Chapter 1

As I slammed the snooze button on my alarm clock, I already knew that I was going to have a bad day. The sun was shining right between the curtains in my room, and directly into my eyes. I groaned and rolled over, covering my head up and refusing to accept that today was the first official day back to school. I mean… the fact that I lived at my school, Edgewater Prep didn't exactly help, but I tried to deny the inevitable anyways. I had an OK summer; all of the kids that stayed at the school year round were either really rich and stuck up or were the 'charity cases', aka the juvy kids. Just imagine being stuck on a bus between a sweaty rock and a snobby hard place… yeah about as fun as it sounds. My summer consisted of 'Education Vacation School', or "EVS". And needless to say that after that, it felt like I didn't even really have a summer at all. I wasn't even tired this morning, either; in fact my squirrely ADHD brain was already thinking about ten thousand things all at once, ranging from "What am I going to wear?" to "If a woodchuck doesn't chuck wood, why is it called a woodchuck?" No, grogginess wasn't the problem; school was. See, I don't really… fit in with the other kids. Oh, most of them treat me just fine, and in fact treat me like royalty, but it's not because I'm the coolest guy in school. It's because of my dad; Jack Lilienthal, the "greatest Olympic sprinter of the century." Having the last name Lilienthal came with a lot of 'extras', like being the only student in the history of Edgewater Prep to have a dorm room all to himself, albeit not because I wanted my own room; my father requested it and the staff 'insisted'. Finally, after going through every stage of grief in about 20 seconds, I hopped out of bed and threw on my jeans, walking over to the closet and grabbing a random tee shirt; this one said "Chemistry is just like cooking… just don't lick the spoon." I yanked it on and walked over to the mirror, raking my hands through my curly hair. I never thought of myself as "handsome"; with freckles splotching my face and cheeks and deep green eyes, "cute" was definitely the word used to describe me if anything. Standing at 5'3", I definitely looked younger than I actually was; along with being the first day of school, today was also my 13th birthday. After taking one last quick look in the mirror, I headed over to the door, before freezing in place. I don't mean to be, but I am incredibly forgetful; it's like a thought will be here one second and just gone the next. I walked over to my dresser, grabbing the worn-looking rubber band and sliding it onto my wrist. One of many gimmicks that the guidance counselor came up with, I played with the rubber band when I got anxious of fidgety. I took in a deep breath, and stepped out the door, walking down the stairs to the main hallway. Once you got out of the dorm area, Edgewater looked just like any other school; lockers lining either side of the hallway and classes splotched here and there. Some students were already rushing all around, talking with one another about what they had done over the summer and what classes they were in; the normal chatter. I made my way over to my locker, and opened it up, grabbing my bag with all my books, and my schedule. My first class was with Mr. Richardson, which meant Algebra. As I trudged to his room, I was intercepted by the self-proclaimed hall monitor Chad. He looked like a bear wearing acne-covered human skin. He had the beginnings of a moustache on his upper lip, and a few stray hairs on his chin. Remember how I said people treat me like royalty? Yeah… there are a few exceptions. A few people here or there who couldn't care less who my dad was. In fact, in Chad's case I had a feeling it just made him hate me even more. He slapped my books out of my hands, grinning down at me as I immediately bent down to pick my stuff back up.

"Oh look; Dakota DOES know how to pick things up. Where's your butler, Lilienthal?" He snarled. Now, my last name is properly pronounced Lee-lin-hall, but Chad always insisted on pronouncing it Lie-lin-thal. I didn't say anything as I picked my stuff up off of the ground. As soon as I stood up, Chad shoved me backwards into the lockers behind me. Almost every head in the entire hallway whipped around as soon as I hit the door, Chad loving the attention as he strutted over to me.

"When are you just gonna leave, Lilienthal? Nobody here even likes you; they're all just afraid of your Daddy." He sneered, pointing one of the sausages he called fingers at me. Despite the situation, I smirked deviously. Here's the problem with me; I always tend to speak before I think. You see, I like to solve my problems with witty comebacks and remarks.

"As soon as Mother Nature apologizes for what she did to your face." I said, trying not to laugh. The few people who had stopped to witness our little scuffle chuckled to themselves, which really got Chad angry. He stepped closer, his grotesque face mere inches away from mine, looming over me like a giant, zitty mountain.

"What did you just say to me, Lilienthal?!" He demanded angrily. I rolled my eyes, scoffing at him.

"Nothing, Chadwick; Just that if your ancestors could see that all their hard work and effort would produce THIS fugly mess, they would have chopped down the family tree and given up!" I laughed, everyone else around laughing as well. Chad grabbed me by the collar and almost raised his fist at me, when suddenly our principal Mr. Shawneson came around the corner, instantly running over and getting between us.

"We will not have any of this; especially on the first day of school!" He commanded, Chad eyeing me like I was lunch. Principal Shawneson looked over at Chad, his eyes narrowing.

"Get to your class, Mr. Thompson." He stated firmly. Chad stood there for a moment before huffing and shouldering his bag, glaring at me one more time before strutting off down the hallway like he had just won some huge victory. Mr. Shawneson turned to me, sighing heavily. I knew what came next.

"I'm so sorry about that, Mr. Lilienthal." He said, saying my last name almost reverently. I ignored it and shrugged.

"It's no big deal." I reassured him with a shrug. He looked me over like he were trying to decide whether or not I needed to be rushed to the hospital for an MRI. After a moment, he nodded, taking a step back.

"Right… well you'd better get to class." He tried to sound serious, but sounded more scared than anything; he felt like if anything happened to me on his watch, my father would personally rain fire down from heaven on him. I turned around and shouldered my pack, making my way to class. I threw my stuff on the floor and plopped down in the seat closest to the window, where I could watch the clouds go by. Look, it's not that I hate learning. I'm just really terrible at it. I can't pay attention to anything for more than 5 seconds, especially when it comes to math and numbers. Or reading. Basically, learning in general. It took a few seconds for the rest of the class to get settled in, but Mr. Richardson soon walked to the front of the class, followed by a student I had never seen before. He was wearing really baggy black denim jeans, and a striped hoodie with a backwards cap on. His messy, shaggy frosty tips jutted out from underneath the cap as he scanned the classroom with a chilled-out looking smile.

"This is Brody Wisteria; he's just transferred in from New York. I expect you all to make him feel welcome." Mr. Richardson droned. My brain pretty much automatically tuned the guy out; he was just so boring. But this Brody kid… he was a different story. There seemed to be something off about him; something that I couldn't really place my finger on. I tried not to stare as he strolled down the aisle, taking the seat next to me. The entire class, I kept glancing over at him, but he seemed to be preoccupied himself, pulling out a leather-bound notebook and opening it up, scribbling something into it. He glanced over at me and smiled, nodding his head slowly.

"Yo dude; what's the haps?" He asked. I really didn't know how to respond; I instantly took off my rubber band and began playing with it mindlessly, my finger feeling like they were moving a thousand miles per hour.

"Nothing really. Um… welcome to Edgewater Prep. Name's Dakota, but my friends call me Dak." I said, forcing a smile. I couldn't shake the feeling that something just wasn't right about this kid. I mean, there had to be a line a mile long to get into Edgewater; it was the most highly respected boarding school on the East Coast; so how in the world did this bohemian kid manage to just… show up on the first day of school? My thoughts were interrupted when he waved his hand in front of my face, that zoned-out grin still plastered on his face.

"Dak… bruh did you even hear me, man?" He asked, raising an eyebrow at me curiously. I swallowed dryly, still smiling.

"Y-yeah, I'm fine! ADHD; sometimes I just zone out." I tried to laugh it off, but the moment I said ADHD it was like I had completely triggered him. His eyes grew wide, scanning me up and down like I was a bomb that was about to explode, and honestly it made me feel pretty uncomfortable. Then, just as soon as he freaked, he returned to his mello, chilled out state.

"Oh man; I've heard that stuff is, like, killer." He said with a smirk, leaning back in his chair.

"Anyways, I was asking you if maybe you wouldn't mind showing me around this place; so I can scope out the sitch." He asked, opening back up his journal and beginning to write furiously once more.

"Oh, yeah… uh, sure." I said, though I wasn't even really sure what 'scoping out the sitch' even really meant. For a moment, I wondered what in the world he could be writing in that journal, but I was immediately distracted by the sound of someone's chair scooting out loudly. I shook my head, for once in my life trying to focus on what Mr. Richardson was teaching… something about factoring and decimals. Anything was better than this weird feeling I got in the pit of my gut every time I looked at Brody; I felt like he was dissecting me with his eyes the entire class. Finally, the bell of my salvation rang. I shot up out of my seat and made my way to the door, but Brody was right on my tail.

"Bro-Dude! Chillax!" He called, placing a hand on my shoulder with a smile. He looked around for a moment before looking back at me.

"This place is, like, mondo HUGE, man! If I lose you I'll be totally lost, lil' homie!" He explained. For a moment, I didn't feel as worried; I mean, look at him! He was barely any bigger than me, and I wasn't exactly the biggest guy in school. I knew I HAD to just be being paranoid.

"Oh, yeah sorry about that. Sometimes when I get in a hurry, I'm super forgetful." I explained. Brody slung his arm around my shoulder, gesturing outwards dramatically.

"As my great-great grandfather once said; "Nature doesn't hurry, but everything like totally gets done." He said, as though he were imparting some great and ancient wisdom on me.

"Ok…" I said. I thought for sure that I sounded completely lost, but my response seemed to be good enough for Brody, who nodded his head like I was starting to learn. Suddenly, that familiar feeling in the pit of my gut resurfaced, but this time it wasn't from Brody; it was from our extremely creepy janitor, Joe. It was honestly hard to tell how tall Joe really was, because he seemed to be perpetually hunched over. Between his long, ratty beard, and his shaggy mop top hair, I don't think anyone had ever seen his actual face. He walked by us in the hallway, pushing his squeaky cart along with him. His eyes were a bloodshot red color, and for some reason he felt the need to stare at us as he walked by. I thought I was imagining things, but I could have sworn I saw both Joe and Brody both sniff at the same time, as if they both smelled something funky. Brody seemed to pick up his pace a little bit, and I had to hurry to keep up.

"Hey, what the heck was that? Do you know Joe?" I asked. Brody immediately regained his composure, looking over at me like I was from a foreign planet.

"That janitor? Come on, bro; quit joshing me!" He said with a laugh that sounded almost exactly like a dolphin. For a moment, I almost pursued his questions further, but was distracted when I saw someone drop their book in the middle of the hallway. Apparently Brody shared all my classes, because all day I was the one who showed him all the classrooms and how to get to the bathrooms and such. At lunch, Brody came over to sit with me at my table, plopping his tray down almost as if to emphasize his presence.

"This place is gnarly sick, man!" He said with a laugh, picking up his pre-wrapped burrito and taking a bite; wrapper and all. I was about to tell him, but before I cold he kept talking.

"So, like… tell me about yourself, Dak." He said, munching on the wrapper burrito. I swallowed hard and smiled; I hated telling people about me.

"Well, not much to tell. I like to read and love music. I love making new friends, and just talking and laughing with them." I explained as vaguely as possible, but Brody sat there staring at me like I had just told him my entire life's story.

"You know, my great-great grandfather once told me; 'Behind every mask there is a face, and behind every face a story." Brody said, with that same attempted 'ancient guru' voice. This time though, I kind of understood what he meant; I was hiding behind a mask a little bit. I sighed and looked up at him.

"My um… my dad's Jack Lilienthal." I finally said almost in defeat. For a moment I didn't even look up at him; I figured he was probably half-way between utter shock and falling to his knees in worship, but when I finally forced myself to meet his gaze he was just sitting there smiling at me like I had just won some personal victory.

"...And? What's your point, dude-bro?" He asked curiously. I blinked twice, not really sure how to respond.

"Well… I guess nothing. It's just… I hate the way people worship my dad like he's some kind of god." I stated. Brody laughed out loud, like I had just told some inside joke. After he calmed down, he leaned forwards a little bit on the table, his eyes growing a bit wider.

"So, like… what about your mom?" He asked. By now the question didn't even phase me.

"Never knew her. Dad didn't talk about her much; all he said was that she was an amazing woman who could do amazing things." I said with a shrug. It seemed like that made Brody more nervous than telling him my dad was a celebrity. Before I could ask him what was wrong, I spotted a familiar hideous face in the crowd, making his way towards me; Chad. As he walked by, I could tell by the look on his face what he was planning, but nothing could prepare me for what happened next. Chad 'tripped', turning his tray towards me as he 'fell', but I felt a tingly sensation go up the back of my neck, and time seemed to almost… slow down as he fell. I could see the burrito slowly slipping off of his plate, his face frozen in a really stupid looking expression, and the rest of his food sliding down the plate. I felt as though I were living in a deja-vu moment; but just as quickly as time stopped, it seemed to slingshot back into action, Chad's tray spilling all over me, his ugly smirking face looking over at me.

"Aww… my lunch! At least I was able to hit the trash." He laughed, his equally ugly friends joining in, a few even hi-fiving him. I stood up and scraped off the rest of the food. The lunch monitor was already there, looking at me like I was a bomb that needed to be defused.

"Mr. Lilienthal, are you alright?" She asked. I sighed, nodding to her.

"Yeah… yeah I'm fine. I'm going to go get a new shirt." I explained. She shook her head up and down so quickly I thought it was going to pop off.

"Absolutely! I'll write you a hall pass for your next class." She said. Brody stepped up, slinging his arm over my shoulder, his left elbow now covered in instant mashed potatoes.

"Can I come with? I like, totes want to see the hang spaces!" He asked. Honestly, I was too focused on the fact that he had just put his arm in the potatoes to really process what he was saying, so I agreed. I walked out of the lunchroom as quickly as possible, making my way back to the main hall. I scanned my 'badge', the light turning green as I opened up the door to the upstairs. As we walked, I thought about what had happened in the lunchroom; how time had felt like it had slowed down by a thousand times. That wasn't the first time that had happened to mee, either; in fact, it happened more than I would like to admit. It never lasted for more than a few seconds, and I always chalked it up to nothing more than deja-vu; but it still bugged me. I threw open my door, and took off my shirt, throwing it into the laundry basket and grabbing a new one, this one said "I'm into fitness...fit'ness taco into my mouth." Brody got a huge kick out of it, laughing his head off sounding like a dolphin after 12 energy drinks. I heard the familiar squeaking of the janitor's cart, looking down the hallway to see creepy Joe staring at Brody and I.

"Brody… you ok man?" I asked. He had seemed to visibly pale, staring Joe right in the eyes with terror.

"Dak… Dak we need to go, dude." He stated firmly. I looked over at him confusedly.

"Dude, class doesn't start for another-"

"No, bro; I mean we need to GO. Now." He said. Before I could ask him if he were completely insane, I saw one of the weirdest and most horrifying things I had ever seen; Joe the Janitor seemed to be… growing. At first I thought that he was just standing up straight, but realized very quickly that something wasn't right; his head looked like it was going to smash through the ceiling. I didn't really stick around much longer, bolting down the stairs right behind Brody, who was sliding down the railing.

"Brody, what the heck is going on?" I demanded. I suddenly heard a loud banging, the metal door 2 floors above us smashing off of its hinges and flying down the hall, clanging onto the ground floor. I looked up, and instantly regretted it. The stairs were pretty dark, but I swear I could make out the outline of what appeared to be a giant, hairy looking creature staring down at us. It looked almost human, but the dim outline of its hands revealed it's razor sharp claws.

"Brody, what the heck man?!" I squealed, picking up the pace. We made it to the door at the bottom of the stairs, and I scanned my card as fast as I could. We ran out of the stairwell, bursting into the commons area. All the students were in their classes, leaving just Brody and I there panting. I jerked my hand towards the stairs, grabbing Brody by the shoulders like a madman.

"Dude, you had better explain right NOW what the heck I just saw!" I demanded. Brody's mouth moved up and down like a fish out of water, but he grabbed my wrist and yanked me over to the front doors of the school. We made it through the first set of doors, but the security guard on duty instantly stopped us.

"Hey, HEY! Where the heck do you think-" The guard never got to finish as the door to the stairs burst open, and the creature stepped through. Joe the janitor was a 7 foot tall werewolf, complete with deadly sharp fangs and claws. I guess that sight must have been a little too much for the guard, who was so dazed that Brody was able to push us right past him and outside of the school. Joe followed right behind us, smashing clean through both sets of glass doors and roaring at us angrily. We took off running across the parking lot, heading towards the forest. Brody looked over at me, his gaze hardening like he had just signed his own death warrant.

"Split up! He's after me not you! Keep running until you reach the forest and don't stop, dude!" He yelled. Before I could even process what he was saying, Brody split off and ran towards the parking lot, Joe the Werewolf making the split second decision to tear off after Brody, growling and roaring at him. I skidded to a stop, my heart racing a thousand mile per hour. I felt that all to familiar tugging in the pit of my stomach, and an odd tingle right on the back of my skull.

"Brody! No!" I screamed. Time seemed to slow down around me, but this time I didn't even really pay attention; I knew that it was impossible, but I needed to get to Brody. I felt a surge of energy coarse through my body; like I had just been jolted by a lightning bolt. I took off running, and it was the weirdest sensation ever. Imagine running at what feels like normal speed, while everything else around you seems like it's been slowed down a thousand times. I looked behind me, and saw a trail of what appeared to be green light streaking behind me as I ran; it looked like what happens when you shake a glowstick back and forth super fast. I turned back around, focusing on my target until I made it over to Brody, reaching out and grabbing him around the waist, and hauling tail out of there. I didn't know where else to go, so I hid us behind the school buses. The moment I stopped running, I felt drained; like I had just run a thousand miles. I could feel the sweat running down my back as I sat there panting as quietly as possible.

"Brody… what-what the heck is going on?!" I heaved. For a moment, he almost looked like a deer in headlights. I reached over and took his arm, looking him dead in the eyes.

"Don't lie to me, man." I warned. I had just done… whatever THAT time-slowing thingy was called, and it was already freaking me out, so I really wasn't in the mood for games. Brody sighed, taking off his shoes. I'm not gonna lie, I almost screamed like a 5 year old when I saw that, where his feet should be, was a pair of cloven goat hooves.

"Bro, I know this seems freaky, but I need you to, like… trust me, ok?" Brody explained, reaching into his fanny pack and reaching his whole arm in. The thing seemed to be bottomless, but finally Brody grabbed onto something, heaving a giant, golden sword out and holding it out to me. The ADHD in me wondered how in the world that sword could have fit into that tiny fanny pack, but I shook the thought off, reaching out and taking the sword by the handle. It felt extremely heavy in my hands, and I had to use both arms just to hold it up. Brody reached into his pack, pulling out a Ukulele.

"Don't worry; I've got your back, Dak." He said confidently. I really didn't see how Surfer-dude goat man Brody and his Ukulele would really be of much help against Joe the giant wolf-man janitor, but then again, what the heck did I know? In a moment of what must have been insanity, I stepped out from behind the bus.

"Here doggy!" I called. The moment Joe's ugly head whipped around my direction, I froze in place. What the heck was I thinking?! As if things couldn't get any weirder, in the midst of this extremely intense and life threatening moment, Brody decided now was an excellent time to begin madly strumming "Over the Rainbow" on his Ukulele. For a second I almost whacked him upside his stupid head; that is, until I saw one of the nearby trees suddenly reach out and wrap around the Werewolf's waist.

"Bro! No time like the present!" Brody yelled, beads of sweat forming on his brow as he strummed wildly. For a second I had no idea what he was saying, until I realized that he wanted me to attack. I ran forwards, the golden sword dragging along the ground as I did. It took almost all of my might just to lift the thing off of the ground, the sheer weight of the blade almost making me fall over, but I managed to swing the blade downwards. Just then, the tree branches snapped, the Werewolf slashing its claws through the remains of the limbs and narrowly dodging the oncoming blade. At first, I thought that I had missed completely, until I saw it; a trickle of golden blood dripping down its matted fur and onto the ground. I looked over at Brody, but he just stood there looking as scared as I was. Joe on the other hand looked absolutely furious baring his teeth at me before charging. Again, I felt the same tug in my gut and tingle in the back of my skull, time seeming to slow down once more. Joe looked like he was almost at a complete stand-still, his fangs still showing and covered in a thick saliva-foam. For a moment, I couldn't help but look around, entranced by the entire situation, but quickly shook the feeling off, turning around and running a little ways away. The moment I stopped running, time seemed to flow normally, but again I felt drained, though admittedly a bit less than the last time. Joe swiped at the air, looking extremely confused before spotting me. Again, I hoisted up the blade, but this time I closed my eyes and concentrated on that feeling in my gut and on the back of my neck. Sure enough, time slowed down once again, and for the first time I noticed that the blade felt a whole lot lighter than before; it was still heavy don't get me wrong, but still noticeably less heavy. I was able to hold it up off of the ground without dragging it, knowing what I had to do. I ran straight at the werewolf, this time slicing clean through him as he hung frozen mid-jump. When time returned to normal, Joe the Werewolf exploded into a cloud of golden dust, which proceeded to coat me from head to toe. For a moment, I just stood there, before the exhaustion overcame me and I collapsed onto the ground. I felt completely drained, like I was going to pass out and my eyeballs were going to melt. Brody rushed over to me, propping my head up and reaching into his fanny pack, grabbing what looked to be a graham cracker square and putting it into my mouth. It tasted nothing like a graham cracker; it tasted like my favorite blackberry pie. Immediately, I felt a million times better; like the strength had been injected straight into me. I quickly stood up, the fear and panic returning as I looked over at Brody. I didn't even need to say anything; he just started spewing.

"Dude… ok, so THAT was a monster."

"DUH! No, you think so?!" I asked sarcastically and an octave higher than my normal voice. Brody ran his hands through his hair, and when he took off his hat, I saw them; 2 horns that looked like little nubs on the top of his head. Suddenly, it all came to me; the goat hooves and horns, with the human appearance.

"You-you're one of those things from the Greek myths… a Saturn!" I said in realization. I could tell that just me saying that was a huge relief for him.

"Satyr, but yeah. Wait, bro; you believe in those myths?!" He asked hopefully. I threw my hands up in defeat

"By now, I'd be willing to believe freakin' Bigfoot exists! We were just attacked by a Werewolf, Brody; a WEREWOLF! And I remember learning about half-goat half-human creatures in history class." I said, Brody nodding.

"Well, brotato-chip; let's just say that, like… satyrs aren't the only thing from those 'myths' that are real." He said, expecting me to fill in the rest.

"So wait; Are-are you talking about like… Zeus and Poseidon and-"

"Yes! They're all real!" Brody interrupted quickly, looking up at the sky like he expected judgment to rain down upon us, but nothing happened. I looked down at my now shaking hands, clenching them into fists.

"Yeah, but what does that have to do with me? I mean, you saw what happened. How the heck did time just… slow down like that?" I asked. Brody looked at me confusedly, shaking his head.

"Slow down? No, dude; You like, totally sped up! You were moving so fast I couldn't even see you!" He exclaimed, "I've never seen any demigod move that fast!". My eyes grew wide in realization; The world wasn't slowing down… I had been speeding up.

"Wait, demigod? Like, child of the gods? THAT kind of demigod?!" I asked, Brody nodding.

"Yeah Dak; exactly like that." For a moment, neither one of us said anything. I mean… it made sense in a completely insane kind of way. It would explain why my mom left my dad, and why I never really knew much about her or ever got so much as a phone call or a single birthday card from her. She was a goddess… holy crap my life is messed up.

"So, what do we do now?" I asked. Brody scratched his chin, looking back at the school then at me.

"Well, we need to get you out of here, dude. Like, after what happened man, this place will be a total monster hot-spot." He said.

"Get out of here? And go where?!" I asked in exasperation. Brody placed a hand on my shoulder reassuringly.

"Don't worry, Dak. I, like… totally know a place."


	2. Chapter 2

A thousand thoughts raced through my head as Brody dragged me through the forest, occasionally glancing behind us before trudging ahead. Finally, after what felt like hours, I had enough. I yanked my arm free from Brody's grip, planting my feet firmly.

"Brody,stop! This is crazy! I just met you this morning, and you already expect me to just… run away with you to some magical land of safety!” I flopped down onto a nearby rock dejectedly, trying my best to regain my composure.

“Before today, the weirdest thing that I had ever seen was a platypus! Then you show up and all of a sudden there's monsters and super powers and gods… What the heck is going on?! I need some answers, man! And not just 'Hey dude, the gods are real! Now let's go run away to somewhere' " I yelled, Brody instantly shushing me and looking around in a panic. After he made sure I hadn't just attracted an entire pack of giant, man-eating wolves, he looked over at me sadly; like I had some horrible fate awaiting me that I didn't even know about. He sighed, taking a seat on a nearby rock, and gesturing for me to do the same. After I sat down, Brody drew in a long breath; I could tell that things were about to get real.

"Alright, bro; the Roman gods… they're all real. Have been since ancient have all of the power that you read about in the myths… just sometimes in a little bit different ways. The monsters from those "myths"; they're also real. Super dangerous creatures, dude. And they're out for one thing: blood" Brody explained.

"Like the Werewolf that almost ate us for lunch?" I questioned, Brody nodding.

"Well, if you wanna get technical and junk it was a Crocotta. But yeah. Most importantly, demigods- the children of gods and mortals- they're real too. They live among humans, many times not even knowing what they are until it's too late." Brody finished, looking over at me sorrowfully. I swallowed the dry lump that had formed in my throat, taking off my rubber band and fidgeting with it madly.

"So, my mom…" I started to ask if she was goddess, but by now that question seemed stupid to ask. I had just run at speeds no mortal human should ever be able to; I definitely wasn't normal. Honestly, in one twisted way it made me feel relieved; At least I knew there was a reason that I never felt like I fit in at school.

"Who was she?" I asked, but Brody shook his head.

"Impossible to tell, dude; at least until she claims you. That usually happens around your age too, man; that's when your scent grows strongest." Brody said. Almost against my will, I sniffed my armpit. I mean, sure I smelled like B.O. and monster dust, but other than that I didn't really smell anything different. Brody actually laughed, his dolphin-pitched squeaks echoing through the forest.

"Man, Dak you are hilarious! You can't smell the difference, but monsters and some other creatures can. Trust me, bro; the smell is there. And I haven't smelled one this powerful since I was last at Camp." He said, scratching at the little hairs that barely sprouted on his chin.

"Wait, Camp? What Camp? Like… like summer Camp?" I asked, now completely confused. What in the world did some crummy Summer Camp have to do with gods and goat men.

"Yeah… something like that. We'll be safe there, lil' homie." He promised, and somehow, despite the insanity of it all, I felt a tinge of hope that maybe he was right.

"Are-are there others there? Like… like me?" I asked hesitantly. Brody looked over his shoulder and smiled at me reassuringly.

"Oh yeah, bro; there's other demis there; but I must admit, I've never met a demigod who could do the things you do." He explained, reaching out and grabbing a tin can off of the ground.

"Righteous! Nature's finest!" He exclaimed, taking me by complete surprise as he took a huge bite out of the can. In all the action and excitement, I had almost completely forgotten that Brody was actually a goat-boy.

"Are there other satyrs there too?" I asked, Brody nodding vigorously.

"Oh yeah, there's plenty of fauns there! Some of them are even my cousins!" He said, bits of tin falling from his mouth as he spoke. Suddenly, something dawned on me.

"Brody, if this Camp is so safe and secure; why in the world were you at Edgewater Prep?" I asked. His expression seemed to harden, making him look almost ominous, which is really hard to do with bits of tin in your goatee. He cleared his throat, and for the first time I noticed that he had a leather satchel slung around one of his shoulders. He gripped in tighter the minute I asked, and I could tell something was up.

"Well, broski; the thing is… What I was actually doing was… I was…" He stuttered, looking like a goat in headlights. My eyes narrowed; I wasn't in the mood to be lied to. That seemed to make Brody even more uncomfortable, beads of sweat visible on his forehead as he stood there stuttering.

"Brody… I just fought a giant Cortec..Corsect… werewolf thing with you! I could have died! And now you're standing here hiding something from me?" I demanded, and that was the straw that broke the camel's back, Brody practically bursting at the seams.

"I was searching for something!" He squealed. For a minute, neither one of us said anything. I mean, that really didn't explain much, and Brody must have been able to tell by the look on my face that I still didn't understand.

“What were you searching for exactly?” I asked. Brody’s face started turning red, like he was trying his hardest to hold it in. 

“I can’t tell you, Dak! Believe me, I wish that I could… but I can’t.” He finally said, sighing in relief. For a moment, I was really tempted to ask him about this… thing, but decided against it.

"Ok… but what does that have to do with me? Or you being at Edgewater?" I questioned, Brody looking quite embarrassed when I asked.

"Well… here's the thing bro; magical items always have, like a specific smell; I thought I picked up its scent in Edgewater… but sometimes, my nose doesn't really… work all that well. It wasn't until I actually met you I realized it… was actually you I was smelling." He admitted. I was about to say something sarcastic and probably rude, but Brody suddenly stopped, gesturing for me to do the same. He looked like he could hear something that I couldn't.

"Someone's coming this way." He whispered. I could feel my heart beginning to race once again as the reality of the past 3 hours finally started sinking in; this was my life now. Constantly running from monsters who probably wanted to eat me. And my only companion was a bohemian goat-boy. At first I thought that maybe it was a false alarm… that is until I heard the thwip of a bow being fired. Once again everything seemed like it was going in slow motion. I turned around just in time to see an arrow suspended in the air, and a gothic looking girl standing up behind a bush. I didn't waste any time, jogging over to the slow-moving arrow and taking it out of the air, snapping it in half and tossing it towards the ground. The minute it left my hands, the 2 halves hung in the air just like the arrow had, slowly drifting downwards. I ran over to the girl, taking the bow out of her hands and running back over to Brody. Time seemed to flow normally, the shattered arrow hitting the ground and the girl seeming to just realize her bow was missing. It was actually getting easier and easier to pull off that little trick; I felt much less tired than the past few times.

"What… how did… What?" The girl asked, clearly confused, annoyed, and angry. She hopped out from the bush she was hiding behind, about 20 other girls seeming to just materialize out of nowhere. She glanced over at Brody, immediately holding her hand up. The other girls froze in place.

"Hang on, ladies; this one's a satyr." The girl said, gesturing to Brody before locking her eyes onto me. I raised an eyebrow curiously, staring right back at her. Look, I've been pushed around by plenty of people in my life; I knew how to stand my ground. The girl scoffed, turning to the rest of her group.

"And this one's clearly a demigod." She said, walking straight past me like I didn't even exist.

"Sup? The name's Brody. You must be one of the Hunters, right? Totally wicked!" He exclaimed. The girl didn't really react, simply eyeing Brody up and down, like she was trying to figure out how useful he could possibly be.

"I take it that you're trying to get this one," She said, gesturing over at me.

"To Camp." She said. The way she said 'this one', like I was some kind of pet, really got under my skin.

"Um, excuse me Emo, this one has a name." I stated firmly, instantly regretting opening my fat mouth as she turned around and glared at me. I tried not to let it show, but she was quite intimidating, especially considering the fact that she looked to be a few years older than me. She glared at me so hard I thought that my head was going to pop off, but eventually she stopped, decided to just scowl at me instead. Suddenly, all of the girls parted like the Red Sea, one of them walking through the opening and right up to me. She looked to be about my age, and was maybe a little bit taller than I was. Her auburn hair waved around a bit in the wind, framing her face perfectly. Her eyes were a very stunning silver color, like the color of the full moon on a clear summer's night. She eyed me up and down, and I couldn't help but stare at her.

"Um… hi. Wow… you have… very pretty eyes; what color are they, like a grey? Or white? I can't really tell, but they're cool."I admitted. ADHD brain strikes again; if I think a girl is cute, my brain just shuts down any   
filter I might have had. All of the girls reached for their bows, grumbling about me "insulting their lady" and a few comments about "chauvinist pigs" being thrown into the mix for good measure. For a second, the silver-eyed girl's eyes glowed bright silver, her jaw locking a bit tighter as she stood to her full height, definitely having about a fourth of an inch on me. She held up her hand, and all of the bows immediately went back to the girls' sides. I glanced over at Brody, who was waving me off. He mouthed something to me, but to me it looked like "All the miss.", which just confused me even more. I looked back at the girl once more, but by then she had seemed to calm down a little bit.

"You are brave to speak to me in such a manner, boy." She said, saying "boy" like it were some personal insult. For a second, I completely forgot how scary she had just looked a few seconds ago; I mean, she looked like she was just a kid like me.

"Oh, sorry if I offended you; sometimes my mouth works quicker than my brain. My name's Dakota, but my friends call me Dak." I said, sticking out my hand. She stared at it for a moment, and I could have sworn I saw a tiny smirk playing at the corner of her mouth, but it vanished just as quickly as she took my hand softly.

"Artemis" She announced. I smirked widely, shaking her hand and letting it go.

"Wow… Artemis. That's a really cool- holy shiznit." I deadpanned. Artemis; that's what Brody had been mouthing to me.

"You mean… THE Artemis? Like… goddess of the moon and eternal maiden huntress?" I asked. The girl raised an eyebrow at me like 'are you REALLY that dense?'  
"I'm so sorry if I offended you; I had no idea that you were… wait, why is a 2000 year old goddess still 13? Did you not age past 13? Is that why you're a maiden? Are all the Olypian gods teenagers? Do your arrows seriously never miss? Do you really have a moon chariot?" I asked, questions just spilling out of my mouth. This is what happens when I panic; an impromptu game of 220 questions. For a moment, she just stared at me emotionlessly, and I thought for sure that she was going to annihilate me right there, but after what felt like an eternity, she simply rolled her eyes and sighed.

"I can take on any form I desire, and this form is the average age of my Huntresses. Yes, I aged past 13. No, that is not why I am a maiden; I am a maiden because men are pigs. No, all the Olympians are not teenagers… though I swear they all act like it sometimes. My arrows always hit their targets and yes; I have a moon chariot." She answered. I kind of just stood there, blinking and taking it all in.

"Wow… That's awesome!" I said excitedly. I couldn't help but smile; I mean, I was literally talking to a freaking goddess; how cool is that?! Artemis turned to Brody, who had pulled out another can and was chomping away.

"Satyr; I take it you were escorting… Dak to Camp Half-Blood?" She asked. My smile grew even more when she said Dak; I assumed that meant we were friends.

"Yes, my lady!"He said, but with his mouth full of tin it sounded like "Bess my Bladey" She looked back at me for a second, then to her hunters.

"We were headed that direction anyways; we'll make sure you make it there safely." She said, Brody looking extremely relieved.

"Thanks so much, Artemis! I mean, Lady Artemis?" I asked. I had no idea how to address a goddess, and I kept forgetting that she even WAS a goddess because she looked so much like Tracy Collins, this girl from Edgewater I totally had a crush on. Again, it looked like Artemis was trying not to smirk, and did an extremely good job at it.

"Let's get moving." She insisted, looking over her shoulder at me and smirking.

"Try not to slow us down." She said, and I actually laughed.

"Ouch! That's kind of harsh… my lady." I insisted. I smirked deviously, closing my eyes and concentrating on that familiar feeling. Time slowed down and I surged ahead of everyone, leaving them in the dust by about 30 yards before stopping and standing there, arms spread jokingly.

"Try and keep up, your highness!" I called playfully, taking off through the forest once again.


End file.
